Thursday, April 27, 2006

So you all see that Nintendo has changed the name of the Revolution to Wii, is it the end of the world? Some think so, while really its not. Here is the press release from Nintendo today:

While the code-name Revolution expressed our direction, Wii represents the answer. Wii will break down that wall that seperates videogame players from everybody else. Wii will put people more in touch with their games… and each other. But you’re probably asking: What does the name mean?

Wii sounds like “we,” which emphasizes the console is for everyone. Wii can easily be remembered by people around the world, no matter what language they speak. No confusion. No need to abbreviate. Just Wii.

Wii has a distinctive “ii” spelling that symbolizes both the unique controllers and the image of people playing it. And Wii, as a name and a console, brings something revolutionary to the world of videogames that sets it apart from the crowd.

So that’s Wii. But now Nintendo needs you. Because it’s really not about you or me. It’s about Wii. And together, Wii will change everything.Link to Nintendo

When I first saw this name via e-mail, I didn't believe it was true. I thought it was just another one of those fakes floating around on the internet. Well it sure was and is real. I thought that this was the worst name for a console in videogame history. I'm being honest.

Now that I've had the whole day to get my mind straight and just ya know "calm down", I've been able to start to "get" why Nintendo went with this new name and especially the new logo.

Here is a new interview with IGN talking to Perrin Kaplan concering what on earth happened today, it will shed more light on this:

IGN Wii: We’re now called IGN Wii. How could you do this to us?

Perrin Kaplan: Say that again.IGN Wii: It is pronounced like “we,” right?

Perrin Kaplan: Yes, as in inclusive, you and me. So how could I do it to you?

IGN Wii: Yes. Don’t you guys think about us when you do these things?

Perrin Kaplan: I think about you pretty much 24/7.

IGN: Well, of course you do.

Perrin Kaplan: Let me just tell you that if you’re disrupted by it today, it’s obviously caught your attention. And at the show, you’re going to get to try out a lot of products that will make you happy.

IGN Wii: Revolution seemed to be a pretty cool code-name that a lot of our readers liked. Why abandon it?

Perrin Kaplan: You know, I thought it was a neat name, too, but it’s not as fitting for what we’re trying to do. You think about Google being an unusual name. You think about Virgin Airlines. Amazon. Napster. All those. I think it’s as unique as those. They aren’t just unique, but loved names for places that we all know. And I think this is more fitting and the two Is work on a bunch of different levels. It looks like two people with heads who can play, which is the inclusive nature of everybody. It looks like the controllers. So for us it looked like a couple of different levels.

IGN Wii: You have said that you’re going for a name that’s unique, like Google. But Wii is also used as “we” every day and therefore only unique in spelling. Do you think there is a risk of confusing potential buyers with a title like this?

Perrin Kaplan: I think it’s really fun to look at, the logo. I think people are going to see that on the box and our package art. I think people will get it straight after a while - it’s just something they’re going to have to get used to.

IGN Wii: Was the name decided on out of Japan or was it a global decision by Nintendo?

Perrin Kaplan: It’s a global name. As most things at Nintendo are done, it was not done by any individual. It was really a team effort.

IGN Wii: How long have you known about the new name?Perrin Kaplan: Well, let me see. We’ve been working on a name for a good year and have had this one in mind for some time.

IGN Wii: Simplicity seems to be part of the reasoning behind the new name. Why not just spell it “We” then?

Perrin Kaplan: I think that there’s a really strong visual to it by having it symbolize the controllers and symbolize people. And, as you pronounce it, the Wii does stand for that whole worldwide inclusion of players. So you get both out of it.IGN Wii: The logo and the video teaser you put out seem to stress the plurality of the name. What message can we take away from that?Perrin Kaplan: I think it’s just a reminder that the system can be played individually or be played by a lot of people. It is for people of all sized and shapes. It’s really a system for everybody. It’s a system for the core gamers. It’s a system for the people who are just going to be re-entering gaming. I think that’s what people can get from it.

IGN Wii: Why announce the final name now and not at E3 2006?

Perrin Kaplan: Why are we doing it now? Well, let me just say that if you look at how much time people have spent online talking about it today and paying attention to it today, it really, I think, required that kind of attention and seeping in for people to let it settle a little bit. It would be really, really easy to lose that at the show. Also, I think it’s important for us to go into the show with people knowing what we’re talking about.

IGN Wii: Some overzealous readers have created some truly phallic Wii designs. We e-mailed you several of them, as you saw. Any plans to use any of these brilliant materials in your official marketing plans?Perrin Kaplan: What a nice way of asking that question! We actually have had a day of a lot of smiles around here with a variety of things that fans have created, let me just say that. It shows you that people are big fans of Nintendo.IGN Wii: Do you think it will come as a shock to some of the Nintendo leaders back in Japan to see some of these fan-created Wii graphics?Perrin Kaplan: Well, they might have to find those themselves.IGN Wii: Some fans have already started petitions in hopes of somehow convincing Nintendo to change the name. Any message for these people?

Perrin Kaplan: Live with it, sleep with it, eat with it, move along with it and hopefully they’ll arrive at the same place.

IGN: So will Wii be your focus at E3, or will DS have its place, too?

Perrin Kaplan: We’re going to be focusing on both, as you probably know. We know people are really interested in hearing about the new system so we will obviously be having a big portion of our focus on it.

Link to IGNBy me saying that I "get it" means that I see that Nintendo is really trying to show that the Revolution/Wii is for everyone to play. The two "i's" represent two controllers and also two people together. I really didn't get this at first, I was just focusing on the "weee" sounding of the name and how much I didn't like it. Don't get me wrong, I'm still not the happiest camper today because of it but at least I can understand a little better now. Maybe after a good night's sleep all of us will feel better about this name or "illustration" if you will. The name is a play on words and its just like Nintendo to think of something like that.

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

New Controller Revolutionizes Ways to Have Fun with AiAi and the Super Monkey Ball Gang

SAN FRANCISCO & LONDON (April 26, 2006) - SEGA® of America, Inc. and SEGA Europe Ltd. today announced Super Monkey Ball™: Banana Blitz developed by SEGA Studios for the Nintendo Revolution system. AiAi and all his friends have rolled their way onto Nintendo’s new console with new mind-blowing puzzle levels and a wealth of new and exciting Party Games specifically designed to fully exploit the innovative Nintendo Revolution controller. Other titles will have a difficult time matching the multitude of possible variations in game control as presented in Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz.

“The Nintendo Revolution presents a totally unique avenue for our developers to explore the art of game design,” said Scott A. Steinberg, Vice President of Marketing, SEGA of America, Inc. “Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz will present a mind-boggling array of gameplay innovations that will excite and challenge gamers while pushing the boundaries of imagination forward.”

The single-player puzzle levels in Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz have been innovatively designed to challenge gamers’ skills like never before. For the first time in the Super Monkey Ball franchise, AiAi and his friends will have the ability to jump when players flick the Nintendo Revolution controller in an upward motion. The ability to jump has given game designers another dimension in which to expand the Super Monkey Ball gameplay experience and allows gamers a whole new way to interact with the franchise; this time in true three-dimensional fashion.

The Party Games, for which the Super Monkey Ball franchise is famous, return with more variety than ever. An abundance of new Party Games have been creatively designed to take advantage of the Revolution controller in a multitude of ways. Gamers will find themselves competing in a traditional game of ring toss, or even smacking pesky moles in a game of “Whack-a-Mole.” Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz’s large library of Party Games is sure to inspire friendly competition anytime.

Tuesday, April 25, 2006

"Last week, a rumor hit the net claiming that the Nintendo Revolution’s nunchaku controller features a built-in acellerometer allowing it to sense it being tilted left or right, or being moved up, down, left, right and in a number of other directions as well. Today, AMN has confirmed through a developer incredibly close to Nintendo that this rumor is in fact true. The nunchaku peripheral does feature this secondary function. However, we were also told that the nunchaku controller does not feature the same pointing and motion sensing abilities that allow the Revolution free-hand controller to be used like a “pointer” or “wand.”One example we’ve come up to describe how this function will be useful in future software involves a first-person shooter, in which you use the free-hand controller to look around and aim, while you use the nunchaku controllers analog stick to move around and strafe. Most importantly, you’d be able to tilt the nunchaku controller to the left or right to reload your weapon. More intriguing than all this, perhaps, our source told us that this “feature” of the nunchaku controller has been in their development kits since they first received them over six months ago. This raises the question, of course, is this the second big secret function of the Revolution controller? It could be. However, it’s odd that developers have had access to the feature and information all along, without ever being told to keep the information under wraps. Nintendo Revolution will be in full playable form during the Electronic Entertainment Expo., which kicks off May 9, 2006 with Nintendo’s annual press briefing. AMN will be on hand at the event with full coverage."

I'm really curious to get my hands on this thing to see for myself if controling a First Person Shooter will be better or worse with this. Looking around, and moving around all in the same hand? Nintendo had to have tested this to make sure it felt comfortable, because it sounds like it might be complicated. Regardless, it looks like a really good choice for sword fighting games......Star Wars anyone?

Sunday, April 23, 2006

Remember that these are just rumors and I'm not in anyway saying that they are or will come true. Keep that in mind as you read over this:-DS Lite released in Europe June 9 or June 16.-A remake of Soul Blade for the DS-Soul Calibur 4 annonced for all next-gen consoles-A remake of Tomb Raider 1 for the DS-Tomb Raider for Revolution-Nights into Dreams 2 for Revolution is 65% complete-Revolution to be released in June in Japan-Released in America in September and October in Europe-Ikarus(Kid Ikarus 2) developed by Retro Studios-Star Fox Lylatt Wars for revolution-A Japanese only racer-Fight Night 2 uses two revcon to box-Burnout Revenge for Revolution-A new edition of the musical game ‘Samba de Amigo’ originally sent for Dreamcast. Uses two revcon as drum sticks-35 Development kits have been sent to Take Two/Rockstar London. The game is unknown but it is believed to be a portable GTA.-Ubi soft has 9 titles in the furnace. In addition, it completely seems confirmed the appearance of Prince Of Persia in Revolution.-Super Smash Bros Revolution to be subtitled either “Mayhem” ot “Total Chaos”-Possible new edition of Counter Strike for Revolution-The aspect of the twilight Princess has changed excessively, and we could be surprised when we see the new images in the E3.-Pikim 3 is 100% complete-Midway has three titles on the way. One being”incredible”-Several Sega System games will be available on VC-Capcom will have 2 titles in the E3 of a form or another one.

Friday, April 21, 2006

These pics were sent to me via e-mail from a person by the name of "Takai". I don't know if these are real concept arts for Kid Icarus Revolution but I thought I would post them just for the "maybe" of it. If any of you have already seen these before, please inform me so I will know if these are old or not. I don't remember seeing them in the past so I'm not sure.

There has been plenty of rumors about this game being in the making but nothing confirmed. Capcom helping out as well? I guess the truth about it is coming soon at E3.

Thursday, April 20, 2006

A poster in the comment section at gonintendo posted the parts of the interview that were new information so this is not the entire thing.

GI: Just because we’re on the subject, did you call Rockstar? Did you ask them? Grand Theft Auto Revolution?

Harrison: I don’t know if we had that specific conversation, but I know that we’ve been in discussions with them. But I was going to say, that that showed us that you never know where the next great game is coming from, so you’ve got to keep the aperture wide open.

Harrison: We heard EA talking about having a few games that they were going to be showing at E3 and also are hoping to launch with.

GI: Is it like, for example, Red Steel uses nunchuck style – is that going to be something like a peripheral that Ubisoft would put out with their game, or will that be something that you get when you buy a Nintendo Revolution or is that going to be something that you have to purchase on top of a Revolution?

Harrison: It would be something that I think Ubisoft or another publisher would have to include in their game, but we’re still working on the actual configuration, so, in terms of the core set, that’s going to lead to a question; I’m sure, about pricing. Well we haven’t announced that yet and we might not even announce it at E3. We’re in something of a cat and mouse game with competitors to see what they’ll say.

GI: Jim Merrick said that you guys were shooting for a worldwide launch of Revolution, is that still the case and do you think that having a worldwide launch is important?

Harrison: Yeah, we’re still shooting for a worldwide launch before the end of the calendar year. I don’t know if it’s going to be even possible for it to be on the same day. We’ll have to see as we get after E3 and see how we feel things are coming along[…] The actual scheduling of these things is something that I’m sure Mr. Iwata will be thinking about over the summer. That’s why I’m saying that E3 you might not hear necessarily a hard launch date, or even a price point.

GI: So what do you think those companies are doing right?

Harrison: Certainly with the case of Sony, they’ve got a huge momentum going for the last decade. They’ve done a good job and so it’s hard to look at and say that there’s one thing that they’ve done well except to say that they’ve managed their business extremely well. Most of the big games that have really put their hardware on the map have come from other people, not from themselves. So they’ve sort of created an environment there where developers could bring the games that put them on the map. And they’ve managed their franchise well over the course of 10 years – longevity. For Xbox, they’re still sort of scrambling and trying to fight their way out. They tried to buy their way in with the first Xbox, and ultimately had one or two particularly good titles on that platform. But they have a different agenda, which is to make it a Trojan horse media center. They’re pushing that very hard and time will tell whether that’s a viable strategy or not.(Ha, I just thought it was funny to hear someone like Harrison say that the Xbox only had “one or two good” titles… I probably had both of those.)

GI: Will you guys have a lot of third party games in your booth this year, or will it be again focused on Nintendo product?

Harrison: No, I think that we’ll have a wide variety of third party games in our booth. We would also like to have these games featured in the publishers’ booths as well. We tend to live in our own world a little bit, maybe a Nintendo disease, but our booth is five percent of the showfloor.

GI: So what are the lessons you learned from the GameCube?

Harrison: Nintendo, I think historically, until fairly recently, has been pretty closed. Not letting third parties get involved on our systems early, not letting them get going. For Revolution, that was a clear strategy change – get them involved early and you’re not talking about a large number, but a handful of the big successful publishers and developers around the world, get them involved early and let them have access to it. One thing that we certainly learned from PlayStation 2’s success was that you never know where the next hit game is going to come from. Grand Theft Auto had been out there, I think, as a PC game that’s okay, not great. But suddenly it just rocketed and carried the PlayStation 2 along.

GI: Nintendo has been historically, and not through any fault of your own, but it’s been for kids. Is that something that you guys are going to fight or embrace or is there any kind of change that you see with the Revolution changing that perception? I’m not saying it’s real…

Harrison: No, it is a real perception. But for us it’s somewhat mystifying because we look at the demographics of who has bought our hardware systems and it’s 40 percent over the age of 18 for GameCube and that type of thing. So it’s never been as complete as people make it seem or seem to believe. I think it’s in terms more of all family and approachable. The number of people who are in college fraternities and in their 20s and 30s playing Mario Kart is kind of astounding. But if you go out to talk with your friends, you’re, “oh yeah. I don’t play Mario Kart, I play Need for Speed: Underground,” or something. To us, we’re trying to make sure we don’t hide from what we are and make sure we’re open to as many people as possible and present it that way. If there’s a hardcore 17 or 18 year old that says, “I’m not interested in GameCube, I need Grand Theft Auto,” we might not be able to convince them that we can be to their tastes. But there’s a whole wide market on the outside of that that are under the age of 15 and over 25 that we think are yet to… and if you can get more people in the household involved in playing the games, we think that that will ultimately lead to greater purchases and sell software itself.

GI: Are there any possibilities with the Revolution with having games like the DS that you could be moving objects with the stylus on the DS that would move things in the Revolution game? Play something like “Fly Swat” where someone could be the bug and someone could be the swatter? Is there any interaction between those two systems that cool and different?

Harrison: Yeah. I haven’t seen any demonstrations of it yet.[…] I don’t think it’s a huge priority, at least I don’t think you’ll see any examples of it at E3.

GI: So at E3 this year, we’re going to be playing these on beta kits? Or how close are you to having finished hardware that people will have and be showing games on?

Harrison: They’re pretty finished. So I think that in terms of the quality and capability of what you’re going to see at E3, it’s exactly as the games could look when they’re finished. NCL is going to drag all of the equipment over, and they don’t generally let the marketing people see what’s going on. But there will be a large, large number of Revolution stations there at the show and a wide variety of games. We know that this is a critical show for us.

GI: And the games for the virtual console, do you think those will all be available at launch or do you think that you’re going to stagger those?

Harrison: They’ll be a staggered release. We talked about it and everyone got really excited about the entire library of games, but the truth is that each game takes a little bit of work. So there are development teams set aside to just work on those sorts of things. We also don’t think that if you opened up and had a library of 500 games, that you’d necessarily have the most impact with the virtual console.

“As one of the leading game destinations on the Web, we are thrilled to partner with Nintendo to give our AOL Games community the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be the very first person to play the highly anticipated Revolution console,” said Ralph Rivera, Vice President & General Manager, AOL Games.

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

Matt got to attend a pre-E3 THQ software preview. As you noticed he got to see and hold the dev kit version of the Revolution controller. Keep that in mind because that version does not have the gloss or the wireless capability of the final Revolution controller that we will have.

Thursday, April 13, 2006

Matt from IGN Revolution has posted a funny topic on his blog about how his Xbox360 has not YET broke, but how it seems that everyone else that he knows that owns one HAS.

Here is the post:

Excellence in Not Yet Breaking

If you own an Xbox 360, there's a good chance it's broken. At least, that's the impression I'm getting as I browse through some of the latest blog updates. Peer broke his by playing 27 hours of Oblivion without ever pausing the game. Seriously. He actually played for more than a day straight without blinking. Both of his eyes dried out and he suffered a stroke, but the good news is that his character has been cured of vampirism.

Meanwhile, lots of editors -- and I'm talking upward of five or six people here -- have also broken their Xbox 360s.

It serves them right, I say. After all, if you're going to play your 360, you have to be prepared for the eventuality that it's going to break. You get what you pay for. And apparently $500 for a system and its accessories doesn't guarantee you that any of it will work for very long. Suck it up and take it, bitches. You've been consumer-pnwed and Bill Gates is laughing his ass off from the top of his golden, hovering pyramid in the clouds.

I, on the other hand, am completely owned free because my Xbox 360 is running just fine. I have created an award to celebrate this occasion.

Of course, when I say that it's running just fine, I mean that in relative terms. Sure, it's locked up on me a half dozen times -- mostly when I play PGR 3 -- but again, I only paid $500-plus for the thing so, you know, I expect nothing less. Thanks, Microsoft. Quality forever, guys.

I will keep this award on my blog until my 360 breaks. I'm planning to play Tomb Raider through the weekend, so you can probably look forward to the award going bye-bye by Monday.

Its funny because I remember all the reports of faulty Xbox360's at launch and how Microsoft tried to dismiss the reports as "normal amount" for a launch like that.

Well, it seems that the people that did have a working system at launch are now either having problems with the system locking up(Matt) or just breaking completely. Ouch. I don't know about you but if I paid over $500 for a game system, I just want one thing: for it to work and work great. Is that too much to ask?

Now you take Nintendo for example: How many of you have had problems with your Gamecube's breaking? I'm not talking about the occasion that a game freezes, but when the system actually breaks and you must buy a new one. Any takers?

I bought my Gamecube on launch day back in 2001 and have never had a problem with it for 5 years.

I just think that its funny that not only is Nintendo releasing the Revolution at a mass market price of around $200 but we all know what Nintendo's track record is when it comes to quality game consoles. They last and are solid.

So say you are one of the unlucky chaps that bought an Xbox360 at launch and now it breaks on you. Its been over 6 months since launch so Microsoft is not going to replace it for you. You must buy another one if you want to play all the games you bought for it. Thats another $4-500 dollars you must spend.

I say this because waiting for the Revolution is just more cost effective. You pay a (most likely) one time price of $200 instead of $1000 total for a second replacement Xbox360.

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Looking really good if you ask me and not far off the Xbox360 in terms of graphics. In fact I would say that this is looking better than a lot of 360 games that I have seen so far (This is just my opinion, but there have been a lot of sub par looking games on that system). Looks like Nintendo is giving the tools needed to third party developer's so they too can make a great looking game on Revolution, I was wondering if we were just going to be seeing great looking software from Nintendo itself and Retro(that was the question that was on a lot of people's minds). So rest easy all you doubting and worried about the power of Revolution not being enough, it seems that it will be just fine and more than enough to satisfy the majority of casual gamers and hardcore gamers.

I hope that Nintendo really doesn't release the specs for this system, why should they?

Red Steel, which will launch as a Revolution exclusive, is set in modern-day Japan, and will have players taking control of katanas as well as modern weaponry using the Revolution's unique controller.Serge Hascoet, chief creative officer at Ubisoft said that he's confident Red Steel will be a "must-have" launch title. He added, "“We have been working closely with Nintendo to take full advantage of the innovative controller."Nintendo marketing boss Reggie Fils-Aime said, "From what we have seen from Red Steel, it is going to be a standout exclusive title on the Revolution.”

Ubisoft Paris is handling development duties, and is made up of vets from the Prince of Persia, Far Cry Instincts, Ghost Recon and Splinter Cell franchises.The title will make it's worldwide debut at E3 in May, although the latest Game Informer covers the game this month.Link to story

Its nice to see Nintendo backing this title so much, E3 will be a blow out of this game.

Saturday, April 08, 2006

As we reported, George Harrison, Vice President of Marketing & Communications for Nintendo, is supposed to have a big interview in the latest issue of Game Informer magazine. As if the issue weren’t bursting with enough Revolution information, Mr. Harrison spoke a little bit about what to expect at launch.

Gamefront.de is stating that in the article, Mr. Harrison has announced that there will be 20 titles available at the Revolution launch, with 1/3 of the titles being developed by Nintendo themselves.

Remember the how many games the Gamecube launched with? Correct me if I'm wrong but it was around 13 or 14 I think. 20 is a good number and with around 7 of them being made by Nintendo or first party(Retro) we are likely to have a great launch.

“...it is often more beneficial to take a non-lethal shot, such as shooting a gun out of an enemy’s hands. In many situations, there will be a higher-ranking enemy who commands the others in the area. By defeating him, and sparing his life, he will offer you his respect, and help. The enemies will surrender their guns, and the boss may offer you a new weapon, a special path, or another reward. Any time you spare an enemy, you will be rewarded. As it always takes more skill to spare a life, than to take it.”

“Although the majority of Red Steel’s gameplay will stress ranged combat, there will be times you need to get up close, and personal. You can switch to the sword at any time, and if you can get close enough to an enemy, you can use it for one-hit stealth kills. In other moments you’ll find yourself locked into intense one-one sword duels. Any time you take on an enemy with a sword of his own, you’ll need to take yours out right away, or his blade will make short work of you.”

And a quote from the Game Informer crew on the natural feel of the controller: "...the longer we played with it the more natural if felt, and the more quickly we mowed down the targets. Strafing around the targets is incredibly easy, as keeping the controller pointed at the object, while you move around with the analog stick keeps you focused on the target. Aim felt similar to using a computer mouse, as it is possible to quickly explore every direction in a three dimension space with quick gestures." Supposedly, the controller will also allow you to duck behind objects for cover, and reload by tilting the controller backwards. Split-screen and Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection multiplayer modes are planned.

Friday, April 07, 2006

Big thanks are dew to Gonintendo for these awesome scans from the upcoming Gameinformer magazine. Worried that the Revolution would just look like Gamecube with better control? Well I think all of us can forget about those worries after seeing that the Revolution will be just fine in the graphics department.

Keep in mind that this is a third party game and they don't even have final dev kits yet. The in-house Nintendo offerings (Metroid Prime 3) are sure to really blow us all away. It is nice to see that Red Steel could pass for an Xbox360 game, just for the fact that people always notice the graphics first. Nintendo was not stupid in making sure the Revolution would catch your eye when you see the games. If all the games looked like Gamecube, the first thing people would think is that nothing has improved and then go on to buy another system. Nintendo has always said that graphics and technology were important, they just don't think that technology should be the driving force on innovation.

Now, when you combine the great graphics with Revolutionary control what do you get?

Tuesday, April 04, 2006

This is Kameo on the Xbox360. The picture on the left is the game running in standard resolution and the pic on the right is running in HD resolution.

When you blow the image up and compare the two yes, you can see a bit of a difference in quality. However at a distance the HD doesn't really look all that much better. You can tell that the standard resolution pic is not running on S-video either. I don't think we will be missing out on too much in graphics with the Revolution besides maybe a few blades of defined grass.

Is it worth the extra price? Thats a big maybe. However, I've compared a lot of S-video and HDTV and only up close can you tell a bit of a difference.

So, the Revolution is most likely going to look like the pic on the left. Are you disappointed?